Microsoft Office: Top Tips and Tricks to Boost Your Productivity

With blockbuster 2014, Microsoft shows all our gadget-fetish companies how it’s done Read more The Office Suite has lots of features that makes both your job simpler and effective. When it comes to Office applications here are some of the best tips and tricks that you can consider for increasing your productivity.

Be aware of Office applications

1. Keyboard Shortcuts:

– Ctrl + C: Copy

– Ctrl + V: Paste

– Ctrl + X: Cut

– Ctrl + Z: Undo

– Ctrl + Y: Redo

– Ctrl + S: Save

2. Using a Custom Ribbon: Lessen the size of your inner circle by customizing Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint.

3. Quick Access Toolbar: Commands that are used less frequently can be placed on the Quick Access toolbar to make them more easily accessible for use across different Office applications.

4. Example: Template helps you create the document, spreadsheets and presentations without much time cost.

5. AutoCorrect: Automatic correction of some most common typing errors or on the fly insertion of something user-defined text.

### Microsoft Word

1. Consistent Document Formatting: Use and customize styles so if you want a new design for your document, simply update the style.

2. Navigation Pane: Get a quick overview, scroll easily between sections and move with the ruler for long documents using this feature.

3. Track Changes: Turn on this feature for document collaboratives in order to track revisions and comments.

4. Smart Lookup: Select any word or phrase, right-click it and then select “Smart Lookup” to get more information without leaving Word.

5. Collaborative editing: Use comments and joining to enable secure collaboration with document

OPs.

### Microsoft Excel

1. Formulas — Use some basic formulas (like SUM, AVERAGE) and master at least 3–4 powerful exception functions like VLOOKUP, INDEX-MATCH to analyze data in a better way.

2. Apply conditional formatting to relevant data trends and anomalies

3. PivotTables — Easily summarize and navigate large sets of data

4. Data Validation Use data validation to control the type of data that enter in cell, which will ensure report consistency.

5. Named Ranges: Gives names to ranges of cells for clarity in long-formulas even contradictory.

### Microsoft PowerPoint

1. This will show you designs, which are suggest by PowerPoint automatically based on your content.

2. Master Slide: Use the Master slide to provide consistent formatting, logos and themes for your entire presentation.

3. Shortcuts to Navigate :

– F5: Begin running the presentation again

Shift + F5 — Start the slide show from the current slide.

— B: Black screen during a presentation

4. Use custom animations and transitions but take caution with the use to avoid ruining your profession set Content.

5. Presenter View: See your notes for each slide, see the next slides up and a timer while you present (Visuals are only presented to presenter)

### Microsoft Outlook

1. Rules and Filters: Automate how your emails are moved into folders, so they appear in their designated folder instead of getting lost in your inbox.

2. For example, Quick Steps now exists to automate repetitive actions (like move my e-mail there instead of doing that manually) and you can have a batch action called “Reply & Delete”.

3. Keyboard Shortcuts:

– Ctrl + R: Reply to email

Ctrl + Shift + M — Create a New Email

– Ctrl+1: Go to Mail View

4. Shared Calendar — share your calendar with colleagues to simplify scheduling and make collaboration more effective.

5. Focused Inbox: This works exactly the same way it does in Office 365.

Unlocking the Power of Microsoft Excel

If you incorporate these tips and tricks into your routine, you can use the diverse features of Microsoft Office in a more optimized manner.

A tool like Microsoft Excel is not just a spreadsheet but it has much wider possibilities. Some features and strategies to get the most out of it:

### 1. Formulas and Functions Masterclass

– Basic Functions:

SUM : `=-SUM(A1:A10)` 점수의 총 합계

– AVERAGE: =AVERAGE(B1:B10) returns the average of numbers in a range.

COUNT: `=COUNT(C1:C10)` counts the number of cells with numbers.

– Advanced Functions:

– VLOOKUP: `=VLOOKUP(value, range, column number (of the return value in array), [approximately])` search for a key in first line of an array and gives back corresponding data from another system.

INDEX-MATCH: It is a more powerful option than VLOOKUP for performing value lookups, in the format of `=INDEX(range ,MATCH (value ,lookup _range.

– IF: `=IF(logical _test, value _if_ true, value _if _false)` is a way perform conditional logic.

Array Formulas: These are formulas that do calculations across more than one cell at a time. For example– {=SUM(A1:A10*B1:B10)}

### 2. Data Analysis with PivotTables

– Creating a PivotTable:

– Select your data range.

– Select the “Insert” tab and find “PivotTable.”

– Select where you want to put the PivotTable and click “OK.”

– Configuring PivotTables:

Drag fields into Rows, Columns, Values and Filters areas to aggregate data.

– A simpler one: Change how the data is calculated (Sum, Average Count) via Value Field Settings

Slicers: You can with all slicers now filter data in PivotTables visually. Insert a Slicer — PivotTable Analyze > Insert Slicer

### 3. Using Conditional Formatting

Highlight Cells Rules: Under the Home tab, click on Conditional Formatting — Highlight Cell Rules to format cell values (ex. cells greater than more such value)

– Data Bars, Color Scales, and Icon Sets: Within “Conditional Formatting”, these are some of the features that you can use, to get a visual pattern or trend of the data.

– Custom Rules: Create your own rule under “New Rule”, to format the cells using the custom formula you have written. 4.E. Using Data Validation

– Drop-down Lists:

– Go to the cell that you want to create a drop-down list.

– Under “Data”, click on the “Data Validation” option.

– Click on “List” and then key in the value or click on the range to fill the cell.

– Restriction of Data Entry: Under “Data Validation”, use the available options to limit the cell entry to number e.g.,whole number or text length. 5.E. Visualizing Data

– Creating a chart and customize:

– Go to the chart data that you want to create a report from.

– On the “Insert” tab; select the desired chart e.g., Column, Line, Pie.

– Sparklines: Allows you to have a mini chart in your cell; “Insert” >> “Sparklines”. 6.E. Power Query and Power Pivot

– Power Query: You can get data from various sources and clean the data. Go to “Data” >> “Get Data”.

– Power Pivot: You can create data model and do complex calculation. “Power Pivot” >> “Manage”. 7.E. Automation Task with Macros

– Record a macro that you can use later with the same data; “View” >> “Macros” >> “Record Macro”.

– Then run a macro that you have recorded before: “View” >> “Macros” >> “View Macros” >> “Arguments” >> Run. 8.E. Sharing and Collaborating

Shared Workbooks—similar to real-time Google Spreadsheets, share workbooks with others by visiting “File” >“Share,” then select how you will be sharing the workbook.

Comments and notes — Add comments to cells in order to exchange feedback together by right clicking on a cell, then select “New Comment”

– Track Changes: toggle to enable this feature, which keeps track of edits done by others.

Those functionalities will allow you to make significant changes in terms of productivity and organization within Excel, turning it into a database where the solutions are clear.

Optimizing Workflow with Microsoft OneNote

One of those tools is Microsoft OneNote which works as a digital notebook to organize everything and work together with others like never before. Optimizing your workflow w/ OneNote

### 1. Manage Your Notes Efficiently

Notebooks, Sections and Pages:

Notebooks: Have different notebooks for each project, subject or your life (e.g Work, Personal, School)

Sections: Use sections in each notebook to group related notes together by subject or project stage (e.g. Research, To-Do List, Meeting Notes).

– Pages: Put pages in the middle of sections for notes or tasks, meeting minutes etc.

– Tagging:

Categories and priorities of notes must be through tags Tags — To-Do, Important [requires immediate attention], Question and Highlight.

• If required create custom tags. Search: Home > Tags) Customize

### 2. Enhance Note-Taking

Templates – Create or use built-in templates for standard note-taking. Select or create a template by clicking on “Insert” => Page Templates.

– Pencil and paint brush: use a pencil or finger to annotate notes, diagrams (e. g., blood draw route), sketches Select “Draw” which gives you the ability to doodle.

Audio & Video Record: For recording lectures, meetings or anything else. Click on Insert > Audio or Video.

### 3. Utilize Advanced Features

– Search:

▶️ Search through notebooks quickly with a powerful search. Type keywords in your search bar to bring up relevant content.

OneNote Web Clipper — This browser extension allows you to capture and save web content directly to your notes. Available in your browser extension store.

Insert Files and Printouts: Add files or printout documents, spreadsheets, presentations. Insert > File or Printout

### 4. Manage Tasks and Projects

– Checkboxes To Do Lists Tag to Pages: use the To-Do Tag to mark things as done. 1 Home -> 2 Tags -> Tag = To-Do

Page Templates for Planning: Utilize templates made for project planning like project trackers or gantt charts to track tasks and deadlines.

+ Linking and Hyperlinks: Here, you can add any link to your related documents or web pages (or some other OneNote page) as well faster navigating through relevant details. Right Click Highlighted text > Link.

### 5. Enhance Collaboration

— Share: share notebooks with your colleagues, friends or family to collaborate. Under “File” select “Share” and configure your sharing settings.

Real-Time Collaboration: Collaborate on shared notebooks with others at the same time. Live Sync: Changes by collaborators happen live

Comments: Add notes to provide feedback or more context Select text, right click > Comment.

### 6. Synchronize Across Devices

Sync: Make sure all your notebooks are synced across platforms. File> Info >View Sync Status.

Mobile app: Utilize the OneNote mobile app to open and edit notes while on-the-go. Get it on your device from the App Store

### 7. Automate and Integrate

Integration with Microsoft other Apps:

Outlook — Link OneNote pages to Outlook tasks and meetings In OneNote you have a feature to Include outlook meeting details in Onenote as shown below.

– Excel and Word : Attach an entire Excel spreadsheet or Word document for reference on your OneNote page; also you can easily made changes directly in attached files.

OneNote Add-Ins: Discover a number of add-ins to take OneNote further. Just navigate to “Insert” > “Office Add-ins”.

### 8. Backup and Security

Back Up Notebooks: To avoid the risk of losing your notebook data, back it up on a regular basis. Go to File -> Options -> Save & Backup and configure how the backups are done.

• Password Protection: Secret notes protected by password. On specific section — right click, Password Protect This Section (then set password)

With these features, you can make Microsoft OneNote work almost like a lightweight project management tool that allows for smooth and efficient organization and collaboration in your notes (which should help streamline your workflow).

Leave a Comment